Verbruggen’s good performances of late had also earned him a call-up to the Netherlands squad when he made his first appearances against France and Greece.
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Promising young goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is one of the hottest prospects out there. He might just be 21 years of age but the young Dutch shot-stopper has already been turning heads with his consistent level of performances at the top level. Verbruggen was linked with many clubs in the past, however, it was Brighton & Hove Albion who won the race to acquire his services. He had only recently joined Brighton football club.
The youngster was signed from Anderlecht in the summer. Bart Verbruggen hardly took time to settle into Roberto De Zerbi’s side and has been a regular for Brighton this season. The 21-year-old has competed for his starting role in between the sticks with Jason Steele. Verbruggen’s good performances of late had also earned him a call-up to the Netherlands squad when he made his first appearances against France and Greece in the EURO 2024 qualifiers.
Speaking about his debut with the national team against world-beaters France, Verbruggen only had good words to describe the outing. However, he was left disappointed with the defeat they suffered on that day. “It was fun, I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we lost the game against France but won in Greece, so that was nice – keeping a clean sheet. I saw it as a great compliment that I could make my debut at 21 and it has definitely left me wanting more. To make my debut against France, a top footballing country, was something I was very happy to have experienced – it made me very proud,” he was quoted as saying by the official Brighton website.
He added: “In fact, it was a dream come true, but I said afterwards to my teammates and the media that it was also bittersweet. I was disappointed with the result because you want to stop everything. But then you are facing Mbappe and he reacted very quickly [for the first goal]. It was disappointing for us because we had started the game well, but you have to sometimes accept what has happened [with the second goal]. He got his shot away right into the far corner, a good shot. You have to concede it was a nice goal.”
However, Verbruggen now wants to focus entirely on Brighton, as he also spoke about sharing his duties with Jason Steele. “It would be nice to continue playing for the national team, but I must continue to prove myself with Brighton, just like the other goalkeepers. For a moment it was good to reminisce, but now the focus is very much back on my club football and making more appearances,” he stated.
He added: “With the number of games we’ve been playing in the various competitions, I’ve still played regularly. There’s a very good relationship among the goalkeepers at the club, and the coaches, and we all push each other to do well. To join this club and to play in the Premier League has been a dream come true, and while these are still early days, I’ve really enjoyed my time so far. Now I can’t wait to hopefully help the club achieve our ambitions.”
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